Days of The Dark Hollow
by Nerdherder51
Summary: Some of the animals in Pixie Hollow begin to attack the fairies that care for them, but no one knows why. Meanwhile, Tinker Bell wants to take her friendship with Terence to a romantic level, but is afraid to do so. RATED T for scary scenes, peril and character death. Temporary hiatus. Story is being rewritten and replotted.
1. Chapter 1

**DAYS OF THE DARK HOLLOW**

**Author's Notes:**

**I have only seen the four movies and _The Pixie Hollow Games_ short. I have not read the books, but I do have access to Disney Fairies Wiki and other online resources so some book only characters may appear or be referenced. **

**This story takes place in the movie universe and is set after SECRET OF THE WINGS**

**Disclaimer: Tinker Bell, Disney Fairies and all associated characters and content are the property of The Walt Disney Company, the character of Tinker Bell originated by J. M. Barrie. This fan fiction is not intended for profit or monetary gain and exists solely for the purpose of fan entertainment. **

**This story is a horror, mystery, action/adventure, friendship/romance and is rated T for scary scenes, peril and character death. **

**Original characters appearing in this story: Dolly, Jeremy, Lockheed, Concord.**

* * *

It was morning in the Autumn Forest and within the trees were garden fairies just arriving to start their shifts. These early risers quickly began painting leaves and practicing to bring their season to the mainland. In one of those trees was Dolly, who, despite being a recent arrival to Pixie Hollow, already showed not only a remarkable aptitude for leaf coloring, but also a great eye for detail in her work. The leaves she colored always seemed more eye-popping than those of the other leaf painting garden talents in the Autumn Forest. In a few months she would make her first visit to the mainland and thrill the humans with her brilliant work. She couldn't wait for that wonderful day. First, though, she would have to survive this one.

"Hi, Dolly," Terence, the dust talent sparrow man greeted, "here is your ration of pixie dust for the day." He handed her a bag made of wrapped leaves which contained the magic dust that fairies needed. Dolly placed her brush into the paint bucket made from an acorn and then took the bag of pixie dust in her right hand.

"Thank you, Terence," she replied with a cheery smile. Dolly had a personality that matched the bright and cheerful colors she applied to the leaves in the forest. It made her a favorite within her guild and she had many friends among all the fairies, animals and insects who lived in the Hollow.

"How has your day been going?" he asked.

"Lovely. I just mastered a new shade of orange and I can't wait to start using it this fall. How has your day been so far?" Dolly tied the bag to her belt as he answered.

"Oh, you know the usual," he said sheepishly turning his eyes away from her. "I go to the depot; I pick up the pixie dust; the guys make jokes about me and Tinker Bell."

"Like what?" she asked.

"Uh, well, you know, stuff like 'Terence and Tinker Bell sitting in a tree, k-i-s…,'" his voice trailed off, too embarrassed to finish, his cheeks turning flush.

Dolly put her hands on her hips. "Well when are you going to ask her out?" she said like a mother hen.

"It's complicated. We're just friends and I don't know if Tink thinks of me as more than that," his face turning several deeper shades of crimson as he spoke.

"And how will you know if you _don't_ ask her?" she replied.

"That's a very good question. Ah…, well. It's just that… um… I, uh…, I really don't have a good answer," he said looking a bit ashamed.

Dolly flitted off the branch where she was sitting and hovered directly in front of him. She took his chin in her hand and gently raised it. She looked him right in the eye and said, "Don't be afraid, Terence. It's not like your life will end if she says 'no,' but don't worry Tinker Bell will accept your invitation. Trust me on this one. Call it 'fairy intuition.'"

Terence smiled back at her, "Okay, I will. Thanks, Dolly. I'll ask her the next time I see her."

"Good for you. Now go sweep her off her wings." She watched as Terence then flew off to finish his deliveries.

_Great advice, Dolly, _she told herself_. Now why don't you take your own counsel and ask out Neville? Because you're a big coward, that's why. _Neville was an artist talent who specialized in painting landscapes and portraits. He was well thought of in his guild and had earned the appreciation of many including Queen Clarion herself.

_Why would he want to associate with an ordinary leaf painter like me? _

Every time Dolly built up the courage to speak to him, even to just say "hello," that blasted question would always pass through her mind. No matter what, it always dissuaded her and her courage would just evaporate.

Fluttering back to her perch Dolly absent mindedly reached for her brush and knocked it out of the acorn paint can. Looking around she found it several branches below dangling from a thread of spider silk made by her friend, Fez, a type of orb-weaver spider. She flitted down and began to tug on the brush to remove it from the sticky silk.

"Sorry, Fez, I just need my brush," she said. Dolly pried the brush loose from the silk and then looked up to see Fez dashing towards her. The spider grabbed the fairy and immediately began to wrap her in webbing.

"Fez, it's me. What are you doing?" she yelled. The spider didn't respond and continued to wrap the helpless fairy.

"STOP!" she yelled again. As the silk came closer to her mouth she began to scream, calling for Terence or anyone within earshot. When the spider silk covered her face she could only scream within her thoughts. _Fez, why are you doing this! I'm not food, we're friends. What's wrong?_

A sharp pain told her that Fez had sunk his fangs into her flesh and toxins were invading her body. The last image she could remember was of two fast-flyers racing towards her.

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**Thanks for reading. Reviews and feedback are always appreciated.**


	2. Chapter 2

On the shores of a trickling stream Tinker Bell and her friends Iridessa, Rosetta, Fawn, Silvermist and Vidia had gathered around to share a morning cup of chamomile tea and talk more about their girls' night out from the previous evening. Rosetta was critiquing the warm up comic at the Fairy Tale Theater.

"He wasn't a bit funny," Rosetta said quite pointedly. "That idiot gives a bad name to good fairy folk like me."

"No, he was hilarious," Fawn disagreed. "I could relate to his style of humor; he was straightforward, raw and earthy."

"Please, he was low class, boorish and unsophisticated," Rosetta spat. Fawn gasped in horror.

"Oh, well it looks good on you, dear," Rosetta snipped. Fawn glared angrily and opened her mouth to give the sassy red head a piece of her mind.

"He was funny," Silvermist broke in trying to avoid a war between her two friends. "But I think he overused his signature line."

"Yeah, I can only hear 'Git-R-Dusted' so many times before telling him to shut up," Vidia said adding her two grains of pixie dust to the conversation.

"What did you think, Iridessa?" Tinker Bell asked.

Iridessa took a sip of her tea before answering. "I didn't get his humor."

Vidia leaned over to Silvermist and whispered, "Big surprise." The water fairy had to stifle a laugh.

"I preferred the comics that followed," the light talent fairy continued, "I thought they were fantastic. Especially that portly sparrow man who did all the impressions, I thought he was spot on with nearly everyone he impersonated."

"The 'Arguing Ministers' was outstanding!" Silvermist squealed. The others began giggling as they remembered the skit. "His body language and facial expressions for each were just spot on. It was as if he spent all his time in the queen's chambers watching the ministers blustering and posturing. It was perfect."

"And did anyone notice the queen?" Tinker Bell said. "She was trying so hard not to laugh."

Fawn then sat perfectly erect and in a deep, mock serious tone said, "The ministers certainly did not look amused."

"Oh that's because they all have reeds stuck up their…"

"Vidia!" Iridessa shouted, cutting her off. The light talent fairy then glanced up at the sun as it rose higher into the morning sky, "Oh look at the time. We had better get to work."

Tinker Bell sighed, "Already? Well, why don't we pick this up tonight at my place? See you then."

The small group of friends dispersed, waving goodbye to each other as they prepared to begin their shifts. Tinker Bell flew towards Tinker's Hollow by way of the Summer Gardens, a rather indirect route to be sure. Following closely behind the tinker were Fawn, the tomboyish animal talent fairy and Rosetta, a prim but sassy garden talent fairy. They were quite curious as to why their friend was taking such a roundabout path to the workshop. Rosetta had noticed that Tink had not yet received her daily ration of pixie dust. A fact she shared with the animal fairy. Both had a pretty good notion as to why.

"Hey, Tinker Bell," Fawn called out, "going to Tinker's Nook?"

"Huh?! Oh, uh, yeah," the tinker fairy said fumbling through her reply.

"It's the other way," Rosetta pointed out. "But you might want to stop at the Pixie Dust Tree and get your ration for the day."

Tink looked down at the empty loop on her dress where she normally hung the pouch of dust. "Oh, yeah, I guess I forgot this morning." The three fairies hovered for a moment, without a word being spoken among them.

"Oh, but you know, a dust talent route runner should along shortly," Tinker Bell finally stated.

"Rather convenient then that you came this way," Rosetta said folding her arms.

"Yeah, yeah it is." the tinker fairy replied with a nervous laugh.

"What if the dust talent fairy doesn't have any more bags of pixie dust to give you? Route runners have plenty of deliveries to make every day," Fawn prodded.

"Oh, Terence always brings an extra one for me…," Tink realized what she was saying and slapped her hands over her mouth. Rosetta and Fawn smiled at each other. The three fairies descended to the pathway below them. "Well I guess the pixie dust is out of the bag."

"Is that why we hardly see you at the tree each morning?" Fawn asked, "So you can 'accidentally' run into Terence on his route each day?"

Thanks to Tinker Bell the Pixie Dust Depot had become very efficient at processing the magical dust with only a small number of fairies or sparrow men to attend to the work. With so many dust talents now free of these duties they could run bags of dust out to the distant reaches of the Hollow so that fairies didn't have to wait in line just to get their ration of dust for the day.

Tink let out a huge sigh and dropped her head in embarrassment. "Yes. And now it's every morning. I've memorized all his routes for each day so I'll know where to run into him. I used to fly to the Pixie Dust Depot sometimes to say 'hi' to him, but Bolt, Stone and the other dust talents would tease him about it. Then Terence would make personal deliveries to my house in Tinker's Nook, but then some of _my _coworkers began to tease me about it. Now I fly all over Pixie Hollow just to see him."

"Wow, she has it bad," Fawn told Rosetta who nodded in agreement.

"You've been moping over this boy ever since you got here. Why won't you do something about it?" Rosetta demanded.

Tink walked several steps away from the pair. "I've been waiting for him…, hoping he would ask me…,"

"Then it's about time you asked him," Fawn responded.

Tinker Bell drew a deep breath and then turned to face her friends.

"I can't do that," the tinker replied, her voice beginning to falter. She slumped to the ground, tears welling in her eyes. "What if he says no? I'd be crushed. And…, and I would feel so stupid."

Fawn and Rosetta walked over to their friend and knelt beside her, "You should never feel that way," Rosetta answered, "I've asked out several young sparrow men and I have never felt…"

"What? When have _you_ ever asked out someone?" Fawn interrupted. "They've always asked you."

"That's what I wanted them to think," Rosetta answered with a sly wink. "That's how I got Sled to talk to me. Did you actually think the blanket slipped out of my hands by accident?"

Fawn stared at her colleague in disbelief. "You let it go on purpose?"

"Absolutely, it was how I tested him," she said.

"But how did you know he would approach you later?" Fawn asked.

"Listen the two of you; sparrow men have rather fragile egos. If you let them think they are heroic sparrow men of action it strokes their self image and they will fall for you like a pound of pebbles."

"You mean they want a fairy in distress to rescue," Fawn summarized.

"Exactly, find yourself in 'distress' every once in a while and you will be able to wrap him around your little finger. The best part: he will think it was all his idea."

Tinker Bell laughed a bit through her tears. "I couldn't do that to Terence. But even if I could I never seem to get up the courage to say or do much. The best I can manage is 'Hi' or 'Thank you.' I can build a Fall Scepter with him or go to the mainland on the same dove, but if I try to ask him out I just trip over my own tongue."

"Sugar plum, you think too little of yourself. You are more than just your tinker talents," Rosetta advised. "You're sweet, pretty, intelligent, courageous and daring. Now you go walk up to that sparrow man and trick him into asking you out on a date."

"Yeah, and he will have to say…, wait, 'trick him?' Rosetta I can't believe you just said that. Listen Tink, just walk up to him and ask him out. He will have to say 'yes' to you. Terence is a charming, kind-hearted, likeable and well-mannered sparrow man who deserves someone like you."

Tinker Bell wiped the tears from her cheeks and looked right at Fawn. "What if he says 'no'?"

Rosetta answered, "Then he's a lunk-headed moron who wouldn't know a good thing if it bit him in the petunia."

Fawn glared at Rosetta again. "Oh, uh, but how will you know if you never take the initiative," Rosetta added trying to back pedal. "Besides, he is probably just as scared as you. I'll bet that his stomach turns in knots and his palms get all sweaty every time he even thinks about you." Ro then whispered into Tinker Bell's ear, "That's why you have to trick 'em into asking you out."

"If you keep waiting for Terence to make the first move you'll be Rosetta's age before he does," Fawn said.

"Hey, I am NOT old," Rosetta snapped back. Fawn grinned in reply. It was her way of getting back at the garden fairy for her remarks back at the stream. "I am wise beyond my years," Rosetta finished, trying to parry Fawn's snarkiness.

"Thanks, guys, I am going to ask him out," Tinker Bell said flittering to her feet. "And I won't feel embarrassed or ashamed if he turns me down."

"Good for you, dumpling, now just fake an injury. Maybe a pulled wing muscle, or…."

"RO!" Fawn yelled. "You will be just fine, Tinker Bell. Go talk to him, let the conversation lead up to something you would both like to do and then casually ask him if he would like to accompany you to it. That's all you need to do."

"Fawn, Ro, thanks for the advice." Tinker Bell looked up at the position of the sun in the sky. "And I had better go if I'm going to meet up with him," Tinker Bell said fluttering off to her rendezvous.

"Good luck, Tink," Fawn yelled out.

"Remember, a pulled wing muscle works every time!" Rosetta advised. Fawn grabbed her braid, put the hair across her mouth and screamed into it.

"What," Rosetta said, "do you know how many dates I've gotten with that old chestnut?"

Fawn just rolled her eyes and grumbled, "You are unbelievable."

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**Thank you for reading. Reviews and feedback are always helpful.**


	3. Chapter 3

Tinker Bell flitted through the gardens and arrived at the pathway in the middle of tall grass and a grove of fruit bearing trees in the Summer Glade that Terence was going to use for his route today. She set down in the open space and began walking slowly towards Tinker's Nook, waiting to "accidentally" bump into him. Within a minute's time someone pulled her hair and knocked Tink on her bum.

"Hey! Ow! …Terence? Was that you?" This was unlike him, he wasn't the type to just grab her and throw her down like that. He was too good natured for something so juvenile.

She looked around and saw no one. Tinker Bell stood up and almost instantly that same someone grabbed her hair again and knocked her forward. This time she fluttered her wings and kept herself from falling flat. Standing again she looked around and yelled, "This isn't funny whoever you are!"

Seconds later a blur plowed into her face and began buzzing and beating on her temples. She knocked it off and looked to see what it was. To Tinker Bell's shock it was her firefly friend, "Blaze?!"

Blaze zipped off, disappearing into the tall grass. "Did I do something to make him mad?" Tink asked herself. There had been that kissing incident yesterday evening when she was heading home from the show. She had been fantasizing, er, thinking about Terence and Blaze just kind of got in the way. Tinker Bell apologized several times and even treated Blaze to his favorite food which was, well, food. She thought everything was good between them again.

A second later she was walloped on the side of her head and nearly fell over. Her face stung from the impact. Before she could say a word she was hit from the other side, falling to one knee. Tinker Bell looked up and Blaze slammed into her face headlong, knocking her flat on her back. She put her arms to her face trying to protect herself.

Blaze grabbed her hair again and tried to pull the tinker fairy across the ground. "Ow, ow, ow! Let go," she demanded. She swung her hands wildly trying to knock Blaze off. The irate firefly let go, landed on her left arm and bit down hard. Tinker Bell howled more so from the shock of his actions than the pain itself. Blaze took off again and Tinker Bell quickly jumped to her feet. She turned in all directions trying to see the crazed firefly before he struck again, but to no avail. Blaze slammed into Tinker Bell's gut head on. This time Tinker Bell swiped at Blaze as hard as she could. Her hand caught on something and she heard a sickening, tearing sound. Despite all that was happening Tink still showed compassion for her friend. _Oh no, I tore one of Blaze's wings_, she thought.

The firefly stopped his attack and hovered a few feet away from the tinker fairy. His irrational behavior seemed to evaporate and he looked scared and sickened by what he had just done. He started buzzing and crying, almost as if he were pleading with her. Then he turned and shot off into the blades of tall grass.

"Boy, what got into him?" she asked herself. Tinker Bell felt pain in her arm, face and in particular her left eye. She then noticed that the bangs of her hair were hanging over her eyes. The little firefly had pulled out her bun. She gasped, Terence was about to fly through here on his route any minute now.

"Hi, Tink," he said.

She gulped, _Oh no, he's already here_.

Tinker Bell started to dust herself off when she saw the tear in her dress. _That was the sound I heard._ She grabbed the top of her dress and pulled it close to her, covering up. More than ever she was feeling embarrassed, how could she face him looking like this? Tinker Bell knew she couldn't talk with him the way Fawn had suggested. She was just going to collect her dust and head back to her home for a new set of clothes.

"Tink? Are you okay?" he asked.

Tinker Bell had her back turned to him and was going to keep it that way if she could. As she heard him step towards her Tink decided it would be best if she left for home now and collected her dust at the depot after she changed.

"Uh, oh, hi, Terence," she said trying to think of a good reason to just up and leave. "Uh, I have to go, I'm late for work."

"Without your pixie dust for the day?"

"I'll get it later," she told him. Just as she was about to flit off, Tinker Bell could feel his hand on her shoulder.

"Tink? What's wrong?" he asked.

"It's nothing, Terence. I just have to go." If she started talking about what happened she would have to admit that it was Blaze who did this. It would get her firefly friend into too much trouble. Tink couldn't do that to her friend, but to protect him she would have to lie to her _best friend_. She had found herself in a moral dilemma and didn't know how to get out of it.

Terence tried to step around in front of her, but Tinker Bell turned away. He tried again and as before she turned away, keeping his back towards him.

"Tink? What's going on?" he said becoming a bit frustrated.

"Nothing happened," she lied.

"Then why won't you look at me? And why is your hair down? You always keep it up in a bun." Finally, Terence leapt in front of her too quickly for Tinker Bell to spin away. He put both of his hands on her shoulders to keep his friend from turning away again. Now he could see her injuries clearly. Tink's face had red welts where she had been hit. There were cuts and scrapes on her face and body, a bite mark on her arm and her left eye was turning dark and swelling up.

"What in the pixie dust happened to you, Tink?"

_Do I look that bad?_

"Tink, your dress. It's torn."

_Oh no, he saw that, too._ Now she truly felt mortified. Her heart raced like a fast flyer and her breathing became so quick and shallow she was near hyperventilation. Terence felt her shaking like a leaf.

"Here, take this." Terence took off his vest and wrapped it around Tinker Bell. Tink had kept her head down and away from him so he wouldn't see her face. But he took her chin in his hand and lifted her head to face him.

"Tink, what happened to you? And please don't lie to me. It looks like someone tried to beat you up or violate you. Tell me who it was and I'll knock his wings off," Terence said, his voice revealing both concern for her well being and anger towards whoever it was that hurt her.

The little tinker fairy remained silent.

"Was it that lothario Jeremy? He's always had his eyes on you. Just because he can charm the other fairies into his arms doesn't mean he has any right to do this to you. I'll…, I'll…, I'll punch the pixie dust right out of him. And then I'll have Fairy Gary throw him to the crocodiles."

"It wasn't him," Tinker Bell finally answered.

"Well then who was it?" he demanded.

She sniffed, wiped her nose with the back of her hand and reluctantly spoke. "It was Blaze."

Terence's jaw dropped and his eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Our Blaze? Firefly Blaze who helped us with the Fall Scepter?"

She nodded, "Yes. He just attacked me out of nowhere. I don't even know why. But when he stopped, it sounded like he was crying."

Terence was quiet for a moment while he tried to absorb all he had been told.

"I guess I tore my dress when he hit me in the stomach," she added. "I tried to swat at him and must have hooked the top of it with my hand."

Terence pulled her into a warm and friendly embrace. "It's okay. We'll find him and find out what is going on. Okay?" Then he felt something wet and warm in his hands.

"You're bleeding," he said after noticing the blood trickling down her arm from where Blaze had bitten her. "Let me take care of that." He tore a strip from the bottom of his shirt and wrapped it around the bite.

As he worked she could only stare at him. _He really is great_, Tinker Bell thought. Terence was exactly the sparrow man Fawn and Rosetta described. He was too nice to take advantage of the situation or embarrass her. There was no irony or cynicism or inappropriateness about him. Not like Bolt and Stone at the depot who were always teasing him. No, he was a loyal and dedicated friend.

When she had ventured out of Pixie Hollow to find the Enchanted Mirror of Incanta to repair the broken moonstone, Terence followed her out of concern for her safety. He helped her get back to Pixie Hollow while she designed a new Fall Scepter out of the broken remains of the shattered moonstone. In her greatest moment of despair he was there when she most needed a friend. Now here he was doing it again and being the perfect gentleman about it, too. _I have to ask him. _

"Okay, wait right here," he said. Terence stepped off the path into the grove of trees. A moment later he returned with a small twig. He broke the two branches from it leaving two, inward pointing tips on either end of it. "Here," he said. "You can use this like clasp for your dress."

"Oh, yeah. What a great idea, Terence." She took the small piece of wood and attached it to the two ends of her torn dress.

"There, now let's take you to a healing fairy so you can get fixed up," he said.

"Terence," Tinker Bell began. "Would you…, uh…, are you going to…" She couldn't finish her question. It really wasn't the right time. Her emotions were all over the place and decided to wait. When she looked into his eyes Tink saw nervousness. Tinker Bell could tell he wanted to ask her the same question. She could feel it. He didn't because Terence must have also known it was the wrong moment.

"C'mon, let's go," he said as he put her good arm over his shoulders and his arm around her waist. Tink's heart jumped into her throat. "And don't worry, I won't tell anyone about what happened. Y'know how some of the guys at the Pixie Dust Depot can be."

She smiled again. "Thanks, Terence. Okay, I'm ready," she said and the two fluttered off towards the hospital.


	4. Chapter 4

Inside the hospital, a healing talent sparrow man and two nurse talent fairies were tending to Tinker Bell's various wounds. By this time her blackened eye had closed up completely and the bite had stopped bleeding. She had to explain a bit about why her dress was torn and was wearing a dust talent's vest. Tink flinched every time a nurse talent fairy applied lemon juice as a sterilizing agent to each cut and scrape. One nurse talent left the room and returned shortly with a bag filled with ice. Tinker Bell was instructed to place it on her swollen eye and remove it at fifteen minute intervals.

"Why not a piece of mushroom?" the tinker asked.

The healing talent sparrow man smiled and replied, "That's just an old pixie's tale. Now tell me again how your dress was ripped?"

"I told you, I was attacked by a firefly. Uh…, during the assault it hit me square in the gut; I tried to swat the firefly away with my hand, but accidentally tore my dress. I probably caught my hand in it and ripped it by accident."

"I see," the healing talent said, "and the dust talent who is waiting outside came to your rescue?"

"No, the firefly suddenly stopped and left. Terence came along a moment later and gave me his vest so I could, well…."

The doctor smiled. He then continued, "So he wasn't present at this attack by the firefly?"

"No, Terence arrived later," Tink answered.

"And does this firefly have a name?"

Tinker Bell became very nervous. _If I tell him Blaze's name they would track him down, capture him, maybe even banish him from Pixie Hollow or Never Land. I would never see him again. If I lie and get caught, Blaze will still be in trouble and no one will trust me ever again._ The more she thought about it, though, the easier the decision became.

"No, I don't know who h-, it was," she said, her voice trembling with fear, "it was just a firefly."

The healing talent glanced over to one of the nurse fairies who promptly left the room. The doctor and the remaining nurse continued to work on Tinker Bell's injuries. After some time the tinker fairy was finally released from her room. She had small bandages all over covering the different wounds and a larger bandage wrapped around the bite on her arm.

The doctor instructed Tinker Bell to apply lemon juice regularly to her wounds to prevent them from becoming infected. Additionally, she was given a bottle of pellets made from a compressed powder. The powder was an extract from mold that killed infections inside the body. The instructions called for one every four hours with food until all taken, about a five day supply.

* * *

Stepping out into the corridor Tink was about to go to the waiting room where Terence was no doubt pacing nervously, but she heard a commotion from further inside the hospital. Curious, she debated leaving with Terence now or going further down the corridor. Curiosity won out, which seemed to be a constant in her life. After looking around for anyone who might stop her and finding no one, she moved towards the odd noise. As she got closer the noise became the odd word or a snatch of a sentence. Still watching for staff with her good eye Tink finally got close enough that she could see where the noise was coming from.

An emergency room was occupied; the firefly that sat above the door was using a blue color filter indicating a life threatening situation. Tink listened carefully to the chatter from behind the closed palm fronds that served as a door. There were several people inside and their conversations constantly overlapped so Tink had trouble understanding all that was said.

Stepping a little closer she heard this bit of dialogue:

"Okay, she's out of the webbing," one voice said.

"That took forever. Let's get her dress off. Look for any injuries, wounds or other markings of a struggle," another voice added.

"What happened?" a third voice asked

"Some kind of arachnid attack," the first voice replied.

_A spider attack? Why? How? Was it like Blaze attacking me?_ Tinker Bell kept listening.

"…pulse is slow, the patient is unconscious and pupils are dilated and unresponsive," the second voice said.

"Who is she? Where did they find her?" the third voice asked.

"She's a garden fairy who paints leaves; she was found in the Autumn Woods. Her name is Dolly," the first voice replied.

_Dolly? Did they say Dolly? I know her._

"Do they know which spider did this?" the third voice asked. That third voice was full of questions, he wasn't a healing or nurse talent.

"I found puncture marks," a different voice yelled, "upper right arm, near the shoulder."

"Show me," the first voice directed. "Confirmation on the spider bite, I need anti venom."

"Doctor, do they know which spider did this?" the third voice demanded.

"I think scouts were sent to capture it," the doctor replied.

"Thank you, doctor," the third voice said, "I will want a full report when you are finished."

"You'll get it," the doctor said, sounding highly irritated.

Tinker Bell turned to leave when she heard something from the room that stopped her dead in her tracks.

"She's stopped breathing!" a voice yelled.

"I've still got a heartbeat, but it's getting weaker," a different voice said.

"Get a hollow reed down her throat," the doctor yelled out. "Where in the Winter Woods is that anti venom?"

"Got it," someone said.

"What is your purpose here," a deep, authoritative sounding voice demanded.

_Oh no! Busted._

Tinker Bell turned around to see two members of the royal guard hovering directly in front of her, each holding a spear made from precious metal.

"Uh, just got released and I'm heading home," she said. It was partly true.

"Then do so," the guard stated flatly. The two moved further down the corridor.

There was that darn curiosity again. Tinker Bell fluttered a few inches away and then hid behind the corner. Peering around she watched as the guards kept moving until they came to the emergency room where Dolly was being worked on. The two then took positions on either side of the door standing with feet shoulder width apart, the free arm behind the back and the spears angled as to block the doorway.

_Very strange_, she thought.

From the room a sparrow man emerged, the guards snapped to attention, retracting the spears in the process. Tink recognized the clothing; he was an official from Queen Clarion's court, a messenger talent who worked only for the crown. He must have been sent here to find out what happened.

_Boy, news travels fast, _she thought_._

As the official moved along the two guards immediately went back to their previous position. Not wanting to be caught, Tinker Bell quickly stepped back and flitted to the waiting room.

Tink's thoughts were filled with worry and dread; her stomach felt like twisted knots just thinking about what she heard. She remembered Dolly's arrival day and how happy the garden fairies were to have another one who could paint the leaves, especially since Dolly's talent glow was very bright. Not as bright as Tink's or Vidia's, but it left quite the impression on those assembled. In her short time in Pixie Hollow, the garden talent developed a good reputation as a hard and dependable worker, a quick study who loved her talent and above all possessing a sweet and cheery disposition.

Of course, Dolly was also more likely to play things closer to the flower petals. She wasn't as daring, adventurous or as stubborn and pigheaded as Tinker Bell was, but the garden fairy did have a button nose, eyes that practically sparkled with joy and energy and a smile that could light up the darkness itself. Good thing Iridessa wasn't the envious type.

Now she was in that emergency room dying, or maybe even dead by now. She barely had any time in Pixie Hollow, never even had the chance to visit the mainland and see how great it was. Dolly could have visited Lizzy and her father; taken a late night swing around Big Ben or just see the city lights which looked so beautiful when seen from high above, almost like the stars in the sky.

_Pull through, Dolly, I know you can make it._

When Tinker Bell entered the waiting room from the hospital ward she found Terence sitting in a chair and reading a magazine…, although he was holding it upside down. This awkward image of her friend almost helped to ease the worry she felt. Tinker Bell was about to flit over to him when Viola, a summoning talent entered the waiting area. Tink stood aside to let her through, but the summoner flew directly to her.

"Tinker Bell and Terence you have both been summoned to the court of her royal highness, Queen Clarion," Viola announced.

_Oh no, now what did we do? Wait? Could she already know about what happened? Stay calm, Tink, don't blab like last time, _the little tinker fairy told herself. _Queen Clarion doesn't need to know about Blaze._

"Come with me," the summoner demanded. Tink and Terence followed immediately behind her.


	5. Chapter 5

Tinker Bell and Terence were escorted into the royal audience chamber where both were met by Queen Clarion, the Ministers of Spring, Summer, Winter and Autumn, as well as by both Fairy Mary and Fairy Gary, Tinker Bell's and Terence's supervisors, respectively. All were taken aback by Tinker Bell's appearance: small bandages covering scrapes and scratches; bruising in her cheeks, arms and legs; scrapes on her arms, legs and shoulders; a large bandage wrapped around her left arm; her hair undone and hanging unkempt. The features that stood out the most were the brown vest wrapped around her body and the black eye which dominated her normally attractive and cherubic face.

"Oh, you poor dear," Fairy Mary said frantically, "what happened? Who did this to you? Are you in any pain?"

"A little," she replied quietly. "The eye hurts the most."

"What happened to your arm?" Queen Clarion asked.

Tinker Bell looked down at the large wrapping that bandaged the wound. "I was bitten."

"By whom?" the queen asked.

Tinker Bell looked away from Clarion when she answered. "It was a firefly."

A touch of laughter came from the ministers. A sharp glance by Clarion silenced it instantly.

"Do you know which firefly?" Clarion asked.

Tinker Bell became very nervous. Beads of sweat began to form on her brow and her breathing became somewhat erratic. "I… I don't know which one."

"So let me get this straight," Redleaf, the Minister of Autumn said with a condescending note very apparent in his voice, "a firefly with which you are not acquainted somehow managed to sneak up on you and began to beat and pummel you?" He laughed for a moment before turning very serious. He approached the tinker fairy and with an intimidating stare and said, "Tell us what really happened, Tinker Bell."

Fairy Mary turned and glared at Redleaf, but it was the queen that reined him in, "Minister, that's enough," Clarion demanded. The Minister of Autumn bowed to the queen and returned to his position with the other advisors.

"Tinker Bell, please come with me," Clarion directed the tinker fairy. "Ministers, Fairy Mary, Fairy Gary please stay here. I wish to speak privately with Tinker Bell."

* * *

Clarion lead Tinker Bell into an antechamber, two guards took positions on either side as they closed the double doors. The room, a hallway that led from the Queens' private office to the audience chamber was well appointed, brightly lit, featured towering arches on one wall and had a veranda that provided a stunning view of Pixie Hollow and the Cherry Blossom forest. Tinker Bell, however, was not interested in such things. She was so frightened that bile rose in her throat. The desire to wretch was almost uncontrollable. Clarion motioned for the tinker fairy to sit on a bench that was on the veranda.

"Would you like some tea?" Clarion asked. Tinker Bell said nothing. She barely even registered the question.

"Tinker Bell?" the queen asked again.

"What? Oh, umm… tea? Yes, thank you."

"I was enjoying a cup when I was told about what happened," Clarion said. She moved to the service tray and poured two cups. A moment later she sat down beside the little fairy and handed her a cup made from an acorn and filled with hot chamomile tea. Tinker Bell took the cup and stared at her reflection in the liquid. She had seen herself in a mirror provided at the hospital, but she was again startled by the black eye on her face. After several long seconds she finally put the cup to her mouth and sipped. It could not calm her nerves nor did it quell her increasing desire to vomit.

The two, monarch and subject, sat quietly for some time. Clarion stared out at the view provided by the large window, Tinker Bell was sullen and never seemed to look beyond the carpet beneath her feet. Both slowly drank the liquids in their acorn cups; Clarion was more than halfway through before Tinker Bell had barely consumed three sips.

Finally, the queen spoke. "Tinker Bell," she said in a soft and comforting voice, "I cannot know how you must feel. I can only imagine how distressed you must be, but you cannot ever believe that what happened was ever your fault."

Tinker Bell remained silent, still staring blankly at the rug, but listening to her queen's words.

"No one will think less of you or hold you in contempt."

"For what?" Tinker Bell finally said her voice barely audible.

"Admitting the truth of what happened. It will hurt to say it, but you will feel so much better afterwards."

"What do you mean?"

"Tinker Bell, black eyes and torn dresses don't happen by accident," Clarion said, still speaking with a soothing tone. "This 'firefly,' you say is responsible, was it really Terence? Did he do this to you?"

"NO!" she said, finally raising her voice to be heard. "Terence wasn't even there. It wasn't his fault, how can you say that?"

"Then was it another sparrow man? Jeremy, perhaps?"

"No, it was a firefly, a firefly. It came from nowhere and attacked me."

"So Terence chased the firefly away?"

"No, it left on its own."

Clarion remained silent for a moment. Nothing Tinker Bell said was making any sense, but she decided to press on with her questioning. "Why did it leave? Did it see Terence coming?"

"No, Terence didn't even see what happened. He never saw him."

"Who 'him?'"

"A firefly, just a firefly."

"You sound like you know this 'firefly'."

"I don't…, I can't…, I.., I…," Tinker Bell broke down, weeping. Clarion took the cup of tea from the fairy's hands and put her free arm around Tinker Bell.

"If someone hurt or tried to violate you…," Clarion tried whispering to the fairy.

"Violate? What…, what are you talking about? I was attacked by a firefly that suddenly just stopped and flew off. No one tried to violate me? Where did you get that idea? And how did you know about the dress?"

"I received a message from the hospital describing your injuries and your account of the incident," Clarion explained. "But your testimony seems incomplete, as if you are trying to protect someone you know. Now why won't you tell me more?"

Tinker Bell looked at the queen with terrible anguish in her face. She was at a moral crossroads. "You'll banish him forever and I'll lose a dear friend."

"Your loyalty is admirable, but you can't protect someone who harmed you, Tinker Bell. Now what did Terence do to you?"

"It wasn't Terence, he didn't touch me," she yelled. "It was Blaze. Blaze did this!" She had done it again. The admission pushed the little tinker fairy beyond all control; she rushed to the balcony's edge and began to vomit. When she finally stopped, Tinker Bell wept uncontrollably. She had condemned her dear friend and she hated herself for it. After a moment, Tinker Bell felt a gentle touch on her shoulder. A hand reached down with a woven towel and carefully wiped her mouth clean. The little tinker fairy looked down over the balcony. All she could say was, "I think I hit someone down there."

Clarion gently led her young charge from the balcony's edge and returned her to the bench where they had been sitting. Again the two sat quietly for several minutes as Clarion allowed Tinker Bell to regain composure.

This time it was Tinker Bell who broke the silence. "I'm sorry, Your Highness. Blaze is my friend, I had to protect him."

Again, the queen was silent for a moment before speaking.

"Tinker Bell, how could a firefly, any firefly, do all these things to you?" she asked.

"He flew at me as fast as he could," the bruised fairy quietly answered. "He used his whole body like a battering ram."

"Why?"

"I don't know. It was like he was possessed."

"You mean not in his right mind?"

"I…, I'm not sure. It just didn't seem like him." Tinker Bell knew every word she spoke only tightened the proverbial noose around poor Blaze's neck, but there was no way out of it now. She had to admit everything to the queen.

"Then why did he stop?" Clarion pressed.

Tinker Bell closed her eyes, replaying the event in her mind, trying hard to make out little details. It all happened so fast, and Blaze often struck from where she wasn't looking that there was much she never saw. When the little tinker fairy got to the moment when he stopped she tried very hard to remember what Blaze was doing and how he was acting.

"He seemed disoriented at first. Then when he stared at me Blaze looked terrified. The only way to describe it would be 'What have I done?' or 'What did I do to my friend?'" Tinker Bell felt the same away about what she was doing to Blaze. "That's when he zipped off into the grass. It sounded like he was crying."

"Crying? Why? How did Blaze sound like he was crying."

Tinker Bell again thought about Blaze and how he acted in those last seconds. "Like he thought he knew he did something terribly wrong. That he was to blame, but wasn't sure why. I think he was trying to plead with me, trying to say he was sorry for what he did."

"And it was Blaze who tore your dress?"

"No, I did that." Tinker Bell continued knowing full well what the next question would be. "During the assault Blaze hit me square in the stomach. I swiped at him with my arm and must have accidentally caught my hand in the hem and tore through the dress."

"You don't know?"

"He hit me pretty hard; I shut my eyes for a second or two when it happened. I almost lost by breath. I couldn't see what was happening. The dress could not have torn any other way."

After a quiet pause, Clarion asked one more question. "How does Terence fit into all of this?"

Tinker Bell asked for her cup of tea, which Clarion gave to her. The frightened tinker fairy took another sip. This time it calmed her stomach. Tinker Bell explained how Terence happened by while on his route. She told the queen how he gallantly offered his vest, wrapped the bite with a piece of his shirt and brought her to the hospital for treatment. He even stayed to make sure she was okay.

"Thank you, Tinker Bell," the queen said a moment later. "I'm glad so you were willing to tell me everything. It clears up several details."

The two finished their cups of tea before returning to the audience chamber.

* * *

**I finally managed to get this chapter posted. Still trying to keep up in my Calculus class. Oh, by the way, it isn't a regular Calculus course, it's Business Calculus. Which involves word problems. I hate word problems. They have always been my undoing. As you can imagine I am not doing so well in this course, but I'm not giving up yet. Anyway, it may be a bit before I can get another chapter posted. Please enjoy and thank you for your patience.**


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